“Less money” for Brady in the future could get others to take “less money” now

Posted by Mike Florio on February 25, 2013, 6:31 PM EST

Reuters

Tom Brady has taken one for the team. Sort of. Kind of.

Not really.

By taking ridiculously “less money” in the three new years that have been tacked onto the end of his existing contract, Brady has created the impression that, for the balance of his career in New England, his goal will be to win football games, not make money. And the fact that Brady took less later undoubtedly will be used to club other players over the head in order get them to take less now. (Wes Welker, are you listening?)

But here’s the thing. How much less is Brady actually getting over the next two years? Previously due to carry a cap number of $20.88 million in 2013, did the Pats slash $15 million million from Brady’s cap number over the next two years by giving him less money — or by giving him a big chunk of what he was due to earn as a guaranteed payment and dropping his base salary down to the veteran minimum of $945,000?

That’s the unanswered question, but also the most important one. How much less money did Brady get in comparison to what he was due to earn this year? How much less will he get in comparison to what he was due to earn in 2014?

The salary numbers for 2015, 2016, and 2017 are so low that they’re laughable. Surely, if Brady still wants to play for the Patriots and if the Patriots still want Brady to play for them, he’ll get much more than $24 million in base salary over three full seasons. And if, in two years, the Patriots opt to shrug their shoulders and tell Brady he’s under contract for a base salary of $7 million, he can simply retire.

For now, the fact that Brady is taking “less money” in the future will help the Patriots persuade guys to take “less money” now, even if Brady ultimately never takes a penny less than what he’s really worth.

That’s why the details as initially reported are scant. Eventually, we’ll be able to pick through the entire contract and get to the truth as to whether Brady will actually be taking any “less money” over the last two years of his existing contract.

I really do not like th Patriots at all. How can one of the best quarterbacks in football take less money. They will be able to sign another pretty decent player for the difference what he should have got vs what he got. I wonder how a quarterback from Baltimore would feel about this deal. Don’t you hate team players.

Hmmm, the extra years still give Brady the option to retire or hold out, but not the option to go to another team those years, which is key. So maybe the Patriots were not willing to commit big dollars to an aging play and Brady traded the right to free agency for upfront money, and it is not a committment of Brady to play, or of the Patriots to pay him big in later years, just a sort of truce that he won’t go elsewhere if he continues to play.

Fins fan here. First and foremost i cant wait for Brady to be out of the game so Miami can return to the dominating the division.

However, i am 100% pleased Tom isn’t breaking the bank and taking what he can before his time is up. I think i check this board everyday and see a new hyped up player holding out for a stupid amount of money that is just completely ridiculous and does nothing to benefit his team. With that being said, good job Tom. Ill still hate looking at you but at least i know that whats on your mind is mostly playing and winning football games and not just making money.

Welker has been severely underpaid for many years. Now that he’s getting old and only has a limited number of years left, he should accept less?

Signing bonus: $5.5 million in 2007.
Option bonus: $3.5 million payable in 2008, applied for cap reasons in equal $875,000 increments in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.
Salaries: $550,000 in ’07, $1,400,000 in ’08, $1.65 million in ’09, $1.9 million in ’10 and $2.15 million in ’11.

There’s no guaranteed money except: GUARANTEED MONEY! So Tom is just taking the chunk now so the books look good…it protects his interests (say if he gets injured). NFL players rarely see their entire contract value anyways.

Hard to ever see a day where he isn’t worth 9M a year. I would take a future 38 year old Brady with one shoulder over a 24 Mark Sanchez. Especially with BB capable of changing up the tactics (“I think I need more RBs”).

Remember though, Brady took a lot less on his second contract and Kraft pocketed the savings. This time, the Pats should use this money on players and not on real estate.

Although the devil is in the details of every contract, there really is no doubt Brady took less than top dollar in his extension – certainly less than he’d make as a free agent once his previous contract were up.

Brady is one season removed from a unanimous MVP so it’s not like his skills look to be eroding any time soon. One could assert he took guaranteed millions rather than risk injury on his way towards free agency and a bidding war, but it’s not like the he and his wife have any financial concerns regardless. This is about Brady putting the team and a desire to win ahead of ego and greed.

The reason why QBs want the highest pay is ego – and in the case of every other QB they put ego ahead of their team, and ahead of winning.

Manning, Flacco and Brees can boast of having $1 more than each other but their organizations will be that much harder pressed to field the most competitive team because of their ego and greed.

Well, yeah. The point is that it opens up cap space for now, which will likely go directly towards paying Welker. If need be they can tear up and negotiate a new deal in a few years. Even if its not as much of a discount as reported, it still is a move that will dramatically help the team.

nickynick04 says:
Feb 25, 2013 6:55 PM
wait til Rodgers contract is up….he will be the highest NFL player EVER
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I won’t even be mad at him, because at least he’s the best QB in the NFL. What’s funny is when guys who aren’t the best like PM, Flacco and Bees want that kind of money.

No one is saying TB is some superhero for this or that he’s not getting good money still, just that unlike a lot of other players, he and his agent understand and appreciate the team concept.

I’m not sure who the biggest moron is. Let’s take a vote. If you think it’s benroethlisberger7 (Rebuilding mode approaches. & Do we LOL at the Patriots future? Yes, yes we do.), hit the thumbs up. If you think it’s logicalvoicesays (Brady couldn’t tie RGIII’s cleats. & Top 5 QBs in professional football – Griffin III, Rodgers, Roethlisberger, Stafford and Cutler.), hit the thumbs down. Should be interesting since they are both stupid! Personally, I’m kinda leaning toward logicalvoicesays because of the Top 5 QBs. Hahahahaha.

By looking at Brady’s cap hit going into this season, it ignores the restructuring he did last year to give the Pats cap space – and the below market extension he took last time around.

In 2010, Brady signed an extension worth $72 million over 4 years. He’s now added an extension of $27 million over 3 years.

Combined, in the midst of his prime, he will make $99 million over 7 years, for an average of $14 million a year.

Contrast that to $96 million deal over 5 years Peyton signed with the Broncos, or the $100 million over 5 years Brees signed with the Saints, and it’s rather clear that Brady did take “less money.”

The huge cap hit this year was all money that was due to him as part of the last deal – which, again was below market itself, and it’s embarrassing someone getting paid to write this stuff would not acknowledge that.

Or as Albert Breer said: “Brady, indeed, took a major pay cut regardless of what you might read elsewhere. He’s just barely a top-ten quarterback in terms of the 2013 cap and by 2015 will fall deep into the teens.”

bait and switch just like the last time Brady “took less for the team”. Why do you think his cap hit was so high before this latest “extension”? It is because they keep pushing his cap hit into future years while he does not lose a dime in his playing years. When he retires the Pats are going to be in a world of hurt for all the money they keep pushing forward.

Can someone explain to me why the PFT writers are always pushing for players to get get paid more and more $Millions and $Millions of dollars in the articles about practically every player? How many $Millions does it take for player salaries to get to before PFT guys will think they are being paid enough? C,mon guys, give it a break for awhile.

This guy has outplayed his contract? That player is being disrespected? Oh, the shame, $10,000,000 a year is an insult for this quality of a player? And on and on you guys keep going.

Some of us who are not rich, do enjoy attending games in person. But if every player must earn $Millions and $Millions and $Millions (going to the Cosmos) in salary as PFT writes about all the cash strapped Stars of the NFL, how will anyone be able to afford to go to games in the future?

Love the NFL best, but realistically, it has gotten out of hand in all sports. To keep from raising ticket prices, teams are forced to charge outrageous prices for beer, hotdogs and even Water. How high can they go? How high can they go? At a Lightening hockey game recently, a 24oz Heineken was $12.25 PLUS tax to go to $13 and change. The domestic 24oz was only .25cents less, PLUS tax.

Thanks again for the constant reminders how so many players are being underpaid in the NFL. Gets old after awhile.

Tom just realizes that there are several factors in total income potential. Salary, endorsements, investments and winning. Taking less in one can increase others. He will have a better team with better results with this contract insuring future endorsements.

Because there is no question he’s taking less money over the duration of this contract than he could get by playing out his current contract and seeking a new deal after next year in free agency.

The Broncos were willing to pay Manning – a QB older than Brady with fewer wins and only one Super Bowl – $20 million a season

One hopes that Florio realizes that Brady’s $14 million a season is far below his market value – and that he truly is taking less.

The contract details might not yet be public, but when was the last time a contract actually paid a player MORE than what was announced? Usually contract details show a contract to be inflated with “fake” final years. If that’s the case here Brady will be taking even more of a pay cut – not gettting more than reported as Florio seems to imply

Not a Pats fan, but do respect Brady. It’s pretty cool to think he signs an extension that still allows the front office to sign talent around him. However, I have to wonder just how low he would have gone if his wife didn’t make $40 million/year???

The Patriots aren’t going to rebuild like most teams they’ve already been rebuilding. They’ve already been rebuilding everything around Brady for the past few years starting with the defense then the running backs, now this year the receivers and the secondary. They got playmakers of the future in Hernandez, and Gronk they have a lot of good young players and when they do replace the Golden Boy the new QB will have a lot around him to help him get comfortable. Don’t say oh there’s not another Brady, he was a 6th round pick if there’s another great under the radar QB to replace him if its not Mallett Hoodie will find him. They’ve already been rebuilding there not going to be like the Colts or the other teams that hope to suck trade and draft to rebuild over a few years there already in a position to be a descent team when Brady leaves. With this new contract it gives them more money to bring even more pieces in to not only win now hit down the road. Laugh if you want there not going away even without Brady. I honestly hope its Mallett that dude has a rocket arm get him a speedy deep threat along with the TEs and a good couple slot receivers with the running game they have that’s a pretty good start especially for a “rebuilding” team. All they have to do is let Mallett or whoever it is grow into their own with all that talent they’re not going ANYWHERE so lol at the rebuilding thought nice try Steeler fan.

Brady seems to fully understand the value of image in the entertainment business, perhaps because of his wife’s successful career. Endorsements remain a huge source of income for him, and will endure better post career with loyalty to the Pats. No doubt media opportunities will open, and Giselle’s brand is enhanced as well. Hard to think of any NFL salary as chump change, but in the Brady’s world, it might be in the big picture they are looking at.